As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Separate components and materials have been joined together using a variety of different apparatus and methods. Examples of such apparatus and methods include surgical staples and apparatus configured to join automotive, building and appliance assemblies, and forming operations for joining seams or edges together. More particularly, parallel sheets of metal have been joined together for automotive and other industries using cylindrical rivet-like fasteners that extend perpendicularly from a first sheet of metal that may be provided in the form of a flange through a corresponding opening in an adjacent and parallel sheet of metal where the fastener is securely held in order to join the flange to the adjacent sheet of metal. Adjacent parallel sheets of metal have also been joined using a punch and die process to form a round projection joint that joins the material of the two adjacent parallel sheets of metal. Spot welding methods have also been employed to join adjacent parallel sheets of metal.
Metal sheets have also been assembled together as components of information handling systems, e.g., sheet metal walls and partitions are commonly used in chassis enclosures and for mounting components of an information handling system. For example, a first piece of sheet metal may be joined in perpendicular fashion to a second piece of sheet metal to form a mounting bay shelf for a desktop information handling system, which may be used to mount and support disk drives or other internal components of the information handling system. FIG. 1 illustrates one assembly method that has been employed to join a first metal sheet 102 in perpendicular orientation to a second metal sheet 104 during the assembly of a desktop information handling system. In the illustrated assembly of FIG. 1, the second metal sheet 104 may be taken to represent a supporting wall within an information handling system and the first metal sheet 102 may be taken to represent a cross-member or shelf of a mounting bay that is mounted perpendicular to second metal sheet 104 as shown. As shown in FIG. 1, second metal sheet 104 includes two spaced openings 110 that are provided to receive two spaced tabs 112 that are provided on an edge of first metal sheet 102. Second metal sheet 104 also includes a third opening 106 that is provided to receive twist tab 108 that is provided on the edge of first metal sheet 102. As shown, first sheet metal 102 is joined perpendicularly to second sheet metal 104 by insertion of tabs 112 into corresponding openings 110 and insertion of twist tab 108 into opening 106. When so inserted, tabs 112 serve to locate and orient first metal sheet 102 in a desired position relative to second metal sheet 104, and twist tab 108 serves to retain first metal sheet 102 in this inserted position relative to second metal sheet 104 when tab 108 is twisted as shown in FIG. 2. In this regard, twist tab 108 is provided with angled sides that contact and bind against the edges of slot 106 when tab 108 is twisted in a manner that serves to pull and retain first metal sheet 102 against second metal sheet 104.
FIG. 3 shows another assembly method that has been employed to join a first metal sheet 102 in perpendicular orientation to a second metal sheet 104 during the assembly of a desktop information handling system. As with the assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2, second metal sheet 104 of FIG. 3 also includes two spaced openings 110 that are provided to receive two spaced tabs 112 that are provided on an edge of first metal sheet 102. However, second metal sheet 104 also includes a third opening 118 that is provided to receive elongated tab segments 116 that are provided on the edge of first metal sheet 102. As shown, first sheet metal 102 is joined perpendicularly to second sheet metal 104 by insertion of tabs 112 into corresponding openings 110 and insertion of elongated tab segments 116 into opening 118. When so inserted, tabs 112 and 116 serve to locate and orient first metal sheet 102 in a desired position relative to second metal sheet 104. A rivet 114 is then inserted through opening 118 and used to secure first metal sheet 102 in this inserted position relative to second metal sheet 104. A cutout 120 is provided in the edge of first metal sheet 102 as shown to receive the body of rivet 114.